This Week In Education
Written by former Senate education staffer and journalist Alexander Russo, This Week in Education was an opinion blog that covered education news, policymakers, and trends with a distinctly political edge. (For archives prior to January 2007, please click here. For posts after November 2007, please click here.) This blog is no longer being updated.
Education
Opinion
Yet Another Thing For Chancellor Klein To Worry About
Recently named along with Joel Klein as one of the most influential parts of the New York City education scene, InsideSchools.org goes beyond the usual news coverage and profiles individual schools. Now it has a blog to go along with all the rest.
Federal
Opinion
Expanding District Boundaries, Beefing Up The NCLB Transfer Provision
NPR reminds us that it was 50 years ago that the Little Rock Nine were escorted into white schools (Little Rock Marks Desegregation Anniversary. Jonathan Kozol observes in a recent NYT opinion piece that the Supreme Court's decision last week still allows all sorts of methods of increasing integration, including beefing up the transfer provision in NCLB (Transferring Up). Meanwhile, the NY Sun tells us that imaginative folks there are wondering what would happen if they did that whole city-suburban district thing (Activists Revive Idea of Blending Students From City, Suburbs)
Federal
Opinion
Burr & Gregg Deliver The First Volley
According to the attached press release, Republican Senators Gregg and Burr are today introducing a "comprehensive" NCLB reauthorization bill -- the first of will likely be several volleys from folks who want to push or promote something that's not quite the same as what the committee and leadership staff are up to. Thursday, July 12, 2007 Contact: Erin Rath (GREGG)
Education
Opinion
Is Wikipedia Accurate & Neutral On Education Issues?
Sick of everyone putting in their two cents instead of just giving you the facts? Me, too. According to this Times Magazine story from earlier this month, we should all be turning to Wikipedia for information -- including breaking news -- since the collaborative website is all about maintaining a neutral point of view. Sound interesting? Well, not so fast. The articles all created by group effort, and are not necessarily complete or accurate even if they're neutral. Maybe that's why people like opinion -- better sifting. Here's the entry for Reading First. And for NCLB. Click "history" to see what changes have been made. Make a correction if you find something wrong.
Education
Opinion
Watch Out, New York City Schools -- Here Comes Medina
Thanks to everyone who wrote in explaining that it's insider Jennifer (Jenny) Medina who's now writing city education stories that we'll all be (and are already) reading.
School & District Management
Opinion
Payzant Says He Didn't Know About Pilot Schools Screening Kids Either
Following up on the Boston Globe's story that Boston's famed pilot schools were screening students rather than taking all comers like everyone else (is supposed to). former Boston superintendent Tom Payzant (under whose leadership the pilots were started) said that he didn't know about the practice, either.
Education
Opinion
NYT Education Reporter Flies The Coop -- Who Will Replace Him?
Word is that NYT education reporter David Herszenhorn has in fact left (escaped?) and is already down in DC covering Congress. [Read more about and an outdated but still reasonable look at where education reporters go to when they are no longer education reporters here.] No word yet on who's going to replace him in covering the NYC schools. How about Columbia's LynNell Hancock (right), who recently wrote a great send-up of the NYC reform effort in The Nation and who still may not have forgiven my for my ambush interview of her (here)? Or maybe Elizabeth Green (left), who just left US News to come cover the city schools for The Sun? Or even Joe Williams, who used to cover the city and now is stuck doing DFER? Of course, I'm sure it will be someone from inside the paper.
Education
Opinion
What Most Folks Don't "Get" About Schools
In yesterday's education column, Times education writer David Herszenhorn reflects on what it's been like covering NYC schools for over four years -- and what most adults don't (or don't want to) understand: "Working with children looks easy. It is not." Then the tagline at the end of the story seems to indicate that Herszenhorn is leaving the beat. Working with schools isn't just hard on teachers, it seems. Congrats, condolences. I'll try and get more information.
Education
Opinion
Carnival Time Vs. The Mustache
I managed to pull myself away from Burger King's "grow your own mustache" site (I'm 'stashing Obama) to skim this week's ed policy posts over at The Carnival Of Education: Week 127 and saw that there are posts on zero tolerance, harassment, student obesity, and the gaps between research and policy. Check it out.
Federal
Opinion
Where's Our Michael Moore?
I'm finding it hard to get worked up about education reform these days when crazed but brilliant "Sicko" documentarian Michael Moore is taking on CNN's Wolf Blitzer, handsome medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta, and mainstream coverage of health care issues (as well as missing the boat on Iraq, the treatment of veterans, etc.). It makes you think. Wouldn't it be horrifying and exciting and disruptive if someone in education -- a more charismatic and compelling version of Jonathan Kozol, Debbie Meier, Marian Wright Edelman, et al -- was pushing this hard on the school reform front, and getting this kind of attention? Why isn't there? If there was, who would be leading the way?
School & District Management
Opinion
Do AP Incentive Programs Skew The Challenge Index? Yes, Says Benton
Dallas Morning News education columnist Josh Benton isn't the first to raise questions about Newsweek's High School Challenge Index (aka "Uncle Jay's List'), but the fact that two local Dallas high schools -- both in the same building -- got ranked #1 and #2 this year does give him an interesting perspective. In his column (here), Benton points out that at least some of the Dallas success is due to a local incentive program that pays kids and teachers for AP participation. In fact, Texas was the home of these AP incentive programs, which spread nationally and are now funded federally thanks in large part to my old boss, Jeff Bingaman, and Kay Bailey Hutchison.
School Climate & Safety
Opinion
The Water Gun Wars
Anyone dealing with kids this summer is probably dealing with water -- water balloons, water bottles, water guns. Here, Slate takes the time to rate the water guns that are out there, most of which are are far cry from the puny translucent pistols some of us may remember from long ago: Scouting out the best water guns. The top-rated Tarantula (pictured) is introduced as follows: "Packing a gun this well-designed almost feels like cheating....Its overdone space-age styling may seem a tad embarrassing, but its performance on the battlefield will teach your enemies to show some respect."